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I have an Abeni badged track bike but the frame appears quite old. I am trying to ID the manufacturer. I purchased it from an estate and the family said it had been in storage for about 20 years. That was a couple of years ago so I was thinking it was possibly from the 1980’s.

The number on the frame is 1857. Can anyone one enlighten me?

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Update:

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Missed one

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  • More pictures of the other frame lugs, dropouts, etc, would be helpful.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Feb 1, 2019 at 2:18
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    1857 is likely the serial number, so don't fixate on that too much. I'm guessing an 80's bike, looks to be built in Reynolds steel. The paint looks far too modern, so I think its been repainted. Can you ask where/whoever you got it from for more info ?
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Feb 1, 2019 at 8:03
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    (And the wheels are definitely old style.)
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Feb 1, 2019 at 13:04
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    @DanielRHicks could you show me an example of that design instead of visible cup from 1900s? To me the complex lugs, curved stay bridges and cast fork crown look like artisanal retro high end bike from 2000s. The only feature on the frame that suggests older design is the oil port. The parts almost certainly from 80s, though.
    – ojs
    Commented Feb 1, 2019 at 13:12
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    Thank you very much guys for all the info you have found out for me. It has answered a lot of questions and is making a bit of sense when all put together. Fantastic work Guys. You should be detectives!!
    – Rick
    Commented Feb 2, 2019 at 4:30

3 Answers 3

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I might have traced back some info on it:

This forum talks of Healing track bikes and one user mentions the underside of his BB is marked G.R. 23 and England, with serial number marked upside down on the seat clamp.

From there I searched for images of Healing track frames and stumbled into this picture, which would match the headtube style. The lugs are different, but hey, this one is from the 1940's...

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So my guess is that it's a Healing track bike as it indicates

Importing bicycle parts Healing was quickly gaining a reputation for his quality and service among the cycling community[...]

Which would fit with the BB shell marked as made in England. The decals are definitely just fakery after a repaint.

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  • Yep, the lug styles of various Healing images you link to seem to vary quite a bit (though always ornate), but the seamless head tube (if you ignore the presence of a seam between tube and lug) appears to be something of a trademark.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Feb 1, 2019 at 19:35
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    It would also offer a logical explanation for Abeni decals. Both are Australian brands.
    – Gabriel
    Commented Feb 1, 2019 at 19:38
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John Abeni was an Australian frame builder in the 80's/90's.

He built frames for Europa cycles in Sydney as well as under his own name. There were lots of bikes sold with Abeni decals that came in from overseas but a real Abeni was pantographed as described in a previous post.

The lugs and dropouts on this frame look very much like they originate in the 1950's/60's. Even the rear track style dropouts in that shallow style that they have are much older than the Abeni era.

I couldn't say what its origins are but it is a nice frame that I would guess was re-painted by Abeni and sticker-ed up as such.

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  • Interesting - OP is definitely posting from Australia at the time, which reinforces the location detail.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented May 20, 2021 at 4:16
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I'm not sure what it is, and I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure that's not an Abeni.

Googling around suggests that there are a lot of bikes out there where people have put Abeni stickers on a non-Abeni frame. Apparently, Abeni frames almost always have the word "Abeni" stamped at the top of the seat stays and Abeni forks and head tubes usually have a big ol' A on them. Furthermore, Ezio Abeni was an Italian who emigrated to Australia and started building bikes there: his bikes wouldn't be made in England.

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    My research came up with the same thing. I thought maybe I might be able to identify it from the unusual position of the serial number, but have not been able to find anything that matches.
    – Andy P
    Commented Feb 1, 2019 at 14:29

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